Container label operating device

ABSTRACT

In a container labeling machine, flat tubular labels are supplied as a two-ply running web which has transverse lines of perforations between the individual labels. A container moves along a concave guide which has spaced double walls defining a passage for the label web. At one end of the guide, a reciprocable cutter penetrates both plies of the web at a line of perforations, and a detent on the cutter separates on ply of the web from the other ply which is held in place. A pivotally mounted shoe, engaged by the moving container, opens the separated plies of the label into a container-fitting form.

March 26, 1974 5. J. HORVATH 2 She'ets-Sfieet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1972March 1974 s. J. HORVATH CONTAINER LABEL OPERATING DEVI-CE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4.

3,799,834 CONTAINER LABEL OPERATING DEVICE Steve J. Horvath, 12600 S.Harvard, Chicago, Ill. 60628 Filed Aug. 14, 1972, Ser. No. 280,227 Int.Cl. B65c 3/10 US. Cl. 156-481 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In acontainer labeling machine, fiat tubular labels are supplied as atwo-ply running web which has transverse lines of perforations betweenthe individual labels. A container moves along a concave guide which hasspaced double walls defining a passage for the label Web. At one end ofthe guide, a reciprocable cutter penetrates both plies of the web at aline of perforations, and a detent on the cutter separates one ply ofthe web from the other ply which is held in place. A pivotally mountedshoe, engaged by the moving container, opens the separated plies of thelabel into a container-fitting form.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines forplacing labels around containers. In particular, the invention concernsitself with a machine in which flat tubular labels are supplied as atwo-ply running web having transverse lines of perforations between theindividual labels.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a very simple buthighly eflicient label operating device by which the flat tubular labelsin the running web have their two plies separated and opened up into acontainerfitting form, each label being automatically placed on acontainer as the latter passes through the machine and the label Webbeing advanced step-by-step as the labeling operation progresses. Thedevice is capable of applying labels to containers which are eithercylindrical or polygonal in form.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and suchother objects and features which may become apparent as thisspecification proceeds, the invention will be understood from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designatelike parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the label operating device of theinvention, showing the two plies of a label separated in front of anadvancing container;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the separated labelplies opened up and the container partially inserted into the label;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but with the label completelyapplied to the container;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the container movingand label holding means at an initial stage of the procedure;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but at a later stage of theprocedure;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but at a still later stage of theprocedure; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but at the final stage of thelabeling procedure.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularlyto FIGS. 1-3, the numeral 10* generally designates the base of alabeling machine, provided with a horizontally elongated concave guide12 to slidably receive containers, such as a cylindrical container C towhich a label is to be applied. The labels are supplied to the machinein a flat tubular form as a two-ply running web W, as for example from asupply roll 13 rotatably "United States Patent 0 ice mounted onlongitudinal support arms 14 projecting from the base 10.

The concave guide 12 has spaced double walls, defining therebetween aconvexo-concave passage 15 through which the label web W passes. The webW is provided with transverse lines of perforations, indicated at 16 inFIG. 1, between the individual labels.

The guide 12 terminates intermediate the ends of the base 10, at Whichpoint an upwardly projectable and downwardly retractable shaft-likemember 17 is provided in the base, the same being projected andretracted in any suitable manner. The upper end of the member 17 isequipped with a diamond-shaped cutter blade 18 and with a forwardlprojecting detent 19 on the lower portion of the front side of thecutter blade.

As shown in FIG. 1, the label web W has been advanced through thepassage .15 and into the forward portion of the base 10, so that theleading label in the web, designated as -L, is disposed in the forwardportion of the base, and the line of perforations 16 between the leadinglabel and the next following label lies in the plane of the projectableand retractable member 17. When the member 17 is projected upwardly, thecutter blade 18 penetrates through the perforations 16 in both plies ofthe web W, but since the cutter blade is much narrower than the web W,the penetration of the perforations initially takes place only centrallyof the web.

A vacuum line 20- extends into the base -10 and communicates with asuction area under the web whereby the bottom ply of the label L is heldin place, the bottom ply being indicated at Lb in FIGS. 1 and 4.However, as the member 17 moves upwardly, the detent 19 on the cutterblade 18 engages the upper ply Lu of the label. This upward movementcauses the perforations 16 in the upper ply of the web to become torn,and continued upward movement of the member 17 projects the upper ply Luof the label -L into an inverted V-shaped form, separated from the lowerply Lb, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

A label forming shoe 21 extends longitudinally above the guide 12 and ispivotally mounted on a suitable bracket 22 projecting upwardly from oneside of the base 10. The shoe 21 lies in the path of the container Cwhich is being moved along the guide 12 in the direction of the arrow23. As the front end portion of the container C comes into engagementwith the shoe 21, the latter becomes raised or swung upwardly. At thesame time, the member 17 is retracted and the raised shoe 21 engages theupper ply Lu of the label L so as to shape it approximately into acylindrical form to fit the container C, as will be apparent from FIGS.2 and 5. As forward movement of the container continues, it eventuallyreaches a position where the label L is in proper position on thecontainer, as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 6. By that time the shoe 21 hasbecome withdrawn from the label, that is, from between the label and thecontainer, and has swung down by gravity as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7.

The containers C are pushed successively through the machine by anysuitable means such as a pusher 24 having a bearing 25 slidable along aguide rod 26 at one side of the machine, the pusher being swingablelaterally in and out of the way, so as to come into place at the backend of the successive containers. As shown in FIGS. 4-7, a label holder27 is also slidable on the guide rod 26, being suitably locked on theguide rod at a location where the label L occupies thecontainer-inserting position shown in FIGS. 4-6. A compression spring 28is provided on the guide rod 26 between the label holder 27 and a stop29 secured to the guide rod.

As shown in FIG. 4, the holder 27 retains the label L in thecontainer-inserting position while the container C is still outside ofthe label and the bearing 25 of the container pusher 24 is remote fromthe holder 27 at the rear end of the guide rod 26. In FIG. 5 the holder27 still retains the label, but the bearing 25 of the pusher 24 hasmoved closer toward the holder 27, incident to the forward travel of thecontainer C into the label L. By the time the container is fullyinserted into the label as in FIG. 6, the label is still held by theholder 27, but the bearing 25 of the pusher 24 has come into abutmentwith the holder 27, thus automatically releasing it from its lockedposition on the rod 26.

As the pusher 24 continues in its forward movement from the position ofFIG. 6 to that in FIG. 7, the shoe 21 becomes withdrawn from between thecontainer and the label, and forward movement of the pusher 24 causesthe pusher bearing 25 to slide the holder 27 forwardly along the rod 26.It is to be understood that during all this action, the line ofperforations 16 in the lower ply of the web B still remains intact, andthus forward movement of the label container to the position of FIG. 7advances the next succeeding label in the web into position for the nextcontainer in the next cycle of operation. When the labeled container isultimately pushed out of the machine, the perforations in the lower plyof the web become torn, as between the label on the container and thenext unused label in the Web, thus completing the procedure.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferredembodiment of the invention, various modifications and equivalents maybe resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a container labeling machine wherein flat tubular labels aresupplied as a two-ply running web having transverse lines ofperforations between the individual labels, a label operating devicecomprising a concave guide adapted to have a container move therealong,said guide having spaced double walls defining therebetween a passagefor the label web, means at one end of said guide for penetrating theweb at a line of perforations and separating one ply of the web from theother, and means responsive to passage of a container along said guidefor opening the separated label into a container-fitting form.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for penetratingand separating the Web comprise a reciprocable cutter for penetratingboth plies of the web at a line of perforations, and a detent at oneside of said cutter for engaging one ply of the web and separating itfrom the other ply.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 together with means for holding saidother ply of the web against movement with the ply which is engaged bysaid detent.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for opening theseparated label comprise a shoe pivotally mounted above said guide, saidshoe being engageable by a moving container and swingable thereby toopen the plies of a label into a container-fitting form.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 together with means for step-by-stepadvancing the label web as a function of container movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,097 11/1955 Von Hofe216-25 3,193,431 7/1965 Seifert 156-384 3,428,981 2/1969 Hofimann 12-1WILLIAM A. POWELL, Primary Examiner B. J. LEITTEN, Assistant ExaminerU.S. Cl. X.R.

